When it comes to shorts there is nothing more provocative than toned, bronzed, bare legs. Weather permitting, cutting the hemline a little higher allows my wardrobe to expand, which in my world, is always a plus. I’ve always been a big fan of shorts, and now that they have established their place in the trend scene, they have all kinds of iterations from denim and belted to pleated and balloon. Various silhouettes for all kinds of body types… the fashion industry done good this season.

For Fashion Week 2019, I hit up a whole bunch of fashion shows and pop-up events. With every new crowd, comes a new outfit. So, in true Fashion Week spirit, I put together some looks that I felt best represented the trend toward androgyny that has fallen upon us. With that, comes the short.

Putting together a straightforward, but well-fitting, jean short with an Anine Bing white shirt, felt like an ode to all things timeless. Pairing two classic items to create something fresh is a twist more complex than it may seem. The denim shorts were slightly longer than last year’s style and the shirt was oversized. I added a few patterns to express my playful feminine side while still maintaining this appearance of neither male nor female. The Black Suede Studio Cheetah heel in combo with the red YSL purse felt like an obvious match, but then I added the polka-dot DIY belt and it really pulled the look together. It was an easy look to create since TNT carries all of my go-to essentials.

I showed up to the Nicole Miller runway show and immediately felt like my fashion life had been brought full circle. Collection aside, the models who walked the show were a mix of both veteran models and newer faces. When Pat Cleveland and Veronica Webb hit that runway, I knew we were in for a good show. What an amazing event! Legit, the show was full of life and energy, and something about the mature models paid homage to the women who built this industry. The finale saw Frederique van de Wal and Claudia Mason along with Patricia Velásquez, Webb, and Cleveland strutting their stuff with Miller to I will survive – I mean it was such a blast. The clothes were Japan-inspired with silken kimono dresses and slips, patchwork and beading. I have a few pieces on my wish list… stay tuned.

I pulled together a more fanciful shorts look with some of my favourite pieces. I have a thing for metallic, I think it’s become fairly obvious. So, these Jonathan Simkhai gold shorts just flew off the TNT racks and onto my body. But, I then paired it with a breezy, more muted pinkish-grey printed Ulla Johnson blouse. Adding flirty elements, the ruffles balanced the loose and pleated short by making it a tad more girly. The Miu Miu gold pump felt magnetic, so I couldn’t deny the natural pairing, but I got a little more adventurous in the Vanina pearl purse. To pick up on the pearl effect, I stacked a whole bunch of @belleandbeautique clips to add some glam to the upper half – accessories are a great way to add that wow factor.

I wore the second short look to the Veronica Beard presentation. There is something super mod yet 80s about the design for the Spring collection. The colours were on point, as usual. A ton of purple and pastel, and of course, the patterns they hit us with: tropical, floral, hound’s tooth and stripes. I’ve always been a fan of the Veronica Beard aesthetic, so it was nice to see the creativity that draws the power suits and midi dresses. @xeniaadonts and @rockybarnes, two big names in the blogosphere, always show up for the main events, so it was nice bumping into them at the Veronica Beard presentation.

Shorts are not as hard to pull off as you might imagine. Pairing shorts with sneakers is an easy look to assemble, but the creativity starts when you kick off the runners and throw on some heels. All of a sudden a day look gets more glammed, and the androgynous style of shorts instantly becomes more feminine, and slightly more empowering, if you ask me. I was able to create both my looks, top to bottom, from TNT, which takes one-stop shopping to a whole other level of enjoyable!

Photography by Patricia Brochu